Love Unexpected
by TormentingAllLemmings
Summary: Third installment to 'Love' series. Now in America, Jenna and Haru's relationship becomes strained, due to his memories of Rin. When Hatori recieves unexpected news, he immediately takes things into his own hands. But not everything can be forced down.
1. Prologue

Summary: Third - and final - installment of my 'Love' series. Things come to an uncertain turn as Jenna and Haru grow distant, their relationship strained by his memories of Rin. And when Hatori recieves some disturbing news, he once again takes matters into his own hands. However, he can't ignore everything for long.

Warning: Nothing, so far.

Disclaimer: Don't own Furuba, duh. Own plot, OCs, and disclaimer...(hey! I can try!)

I'll put all notes at the bottom, so please read 'em! This is a little shorter than usual, and maybe abrupt, but it's the prologue.

Please review. Ideas, suggestions, comments, and helpful criticism welcome.

* * *

"I think I'm going to cut my hair, Haru," Jenna told him, rubbing her hair with a towel as she wandered into the kitchen where Haru was sitting at the table reading a letter. He glanced up in surprise and eyed her for a moment, noting her hair went past her waist now, before looking back at her.

"Why? I think you look pretty like that," he objected, and she sighed as she sat down as well.

"Maybe, but my hair doesn't stay perfectly straight when it's this long. And it gets in my way," she added, pulling it back in annoyance. "There's a reason I never had long hair like this."

"Hatori said Akito isn't doing well," he said, abruptly changing the subject.

"Again?" Jenna asked skeptically, resting her chin in her arms. She and Hatsuharu had lived together for almost three years and Hatori had begun to write them directly almost eighteen months ago. "He's never doing well," she shrugged. "And then he gets better, and it starts all over again."

"Well, this time Hatori is almost certain it's not going to start all over," the Ox said, laying the letter on the table in front of them. "I can feel it too – the curse. It's breaking, but the call is getting stronger." Jenna shivered at the thought of Haru going back to Japan – back to Akito – and looked at him with worry.

"When you say it like that – it scares me," she said quietly, and he rested his hand on her arm comfortingly.

"Don't worry," he assured her, but she noticed he made no promises about staying. The pair had grown distant as time passed and Jenna was aware that her own insecurities concerning Haru's relationship with Rin were the problem. She considered them justified, however. Haru often asked after Rin in letters to Hatori and Jenna's 'female intuition' told her that Haru liked her hair long because it reminded him of Rin. She knew Haru cared for her deeply – she had no delusions about that, just as sure as she knew she loved him – but was afraid that one day he would need to go back and Rin would be waiting for him.

"I'll go today after work and get a trim," she compromised, and Haru nodded, pleased with the suggestion.

"Hatori was asking about the certificate," he hinted, and she groaned.

"Haru…"

"I know – I'll let him know," he agreed, glancing at the paper ominously. Jenna had delayed a wedding of any kind since they had arrived in America, unsure of her reasons why, and Hatori asked about it every letter, revealing his curiosity concerning her motives. Haru had accepted the situation in his usual laid-back manner, but Jenna often wondered what his thoughts on the matter really were. She had to admit to herself that she was scared to ask.

* * *

"Have a good day, sir," Jenna called after the man leaving the office. She had kept her job at the local paper and often dealt with aspiring columnists and businessmen as a result. Most of the people were pleasant enough, while others took their attitudes out on her. She had almost lost her job a few weeks ago thanks to that – Haru had stopped by for lunch when a man was yelling at her about his rejected application. Naturally, Hatsuharu had gone Black and two policemen had to come and drag him off the poor man while Jenna tried to calm him down. Fortunately, her boss was a good-natured man and had only made Haru promise to never come back. Haru had sulked for a bit after that, but soon grew busy in his own job as a karate instructor at the youth center and forgot about it.

Getting her jacket on, Jenna winced as nausea hit her and muttered something under her breath as she headed down the hall outside. Feeling slightly ill and chalking it up to being hungry, she pulled her keys out as she reached her car and decided to pick up something to eat before heading home.

"I guess I'll pick Haru up something as well," she said thoughtfully, glancing at the clock. Pulling onto the street, she headed for the nearest take-out restaurant, hoping Haru wouldn't mind, but not really thinking he would. "And if he does, he can make something for himself anyway," she told herself, grinning.

* * *

"So you did get it cut," Haru commented later that evening. Jenna had been home for several hours before he got in and was grateful she had gotten over the nausea before that.

"At lunch," she nodded, having had it cut to her mid-back. "I told it was getting too long for me."

"Mm," he murmured briefly, before resuming eating. She frowned slightly for a moment before shrugging it off and returning to the book she was reading.

"How'd work go?" she asked after a moment, and he looked up with what seemed to be surprise. Which irritated Jenna a little, since she always asked about his day.

"Fine."

"Were any of the kids sick?" she prodded, doing her best to keep her sudden temper in check. Their relationship, while still easy, had grown more strained as well as distant, and as of late Haru talked even less than usual.

"Yeah – flu season's starting strong," he nodded, and she waited a moment before realizing he wasn't going to say anything else. Swallowing her disappointment – and a sudden desire to demand what was going on – she instead picked up the paperback once more.

* * *

"Are you sure you're all right?" Haru asked doubtfully, about a week later. Jenna sat up a little straighter, kneeling before the toilet. "Is it something you ate?"

"I don't know," she admitted, a feeling of dread creeping up on her. Several spirits had revealed themselves to her two das ago, serving as a warning that things were taking a turn for the worst. Another wave of nausea hit and she dropped her head in an attempt to ward it off.

"Maybe you should see a doctor," he suggested, but she shook her head sharply in protest.

"No," she replied curtly, her flat tone saying the matter wasn't open for discussion. She hadn't been to a doctor since leaving Hatori, somehow feeling guilty at the idea, as if it would be a betrayal.

"You know, if he finds out you haven't been to a doctor this whole time, he'll kill me," Haru pointed out, having been to one himself a year ago for a checkup. Jenna only looked at him pointedly, causing him to sigh. "Yeah, I know you're an adult, but I'll be held responsible if anything happens – you know that," he added, and she sighed as well.

"I know. It's probably just a virus going around – it's flu season," she pointed out, slowly getting to her feet as the ill feeling faded away. "Besides, I feel fine, so stop hovering and go to work. We're both late, but at least my boss knows I'm sick."

"All right – call if anything happens," he ordered, reluctantly sidling toward the door. Jenna waggled her fingers in agreement, since her mouth was currently full of toothpaste, and bent over to spit just as he left. Haru had been more solicitous than usual the past week, which was rather nice, but the same nagging feelings remained in her mind, letting her know something was wrong. That and the fact that spirits were beginning to grow more prominent.

"Everything was going so well," she sighed, running a brush through her hair. She had taken the next day off as well as today and wasn't sure what to do with her free time. Finishing her morning routine, she pulled her hair back and sat down at the table, unwilling to try and eat anything just eat. Looking around in boredom, her gaze settled on a letter she had begun to Hatori, but never finished. Getting up, she retrieved the paper and pen and sat back down. Pulling a new piece of paper out, she bent over the sheet and began to scribble, remembering the old saying about doctors' handwriting and knowing he'd be able to decipher the mess.

* * *

Several hours and many pages later, she found herself with a stiff hand and growling stomach and leaned back in the chair with surprise, not realizing she had so much to tell the Dragon. Moving to the fridge, she began to dig through it, hoping to find something to eat.

"Ah…" she grinned, retrieving an old tuna sandwich and deciding the best course of action was to eat it.

* * *

"What the hell's _that_?" Haru demanded, coming through the door just in time to see Jenna shove a wad of papers into a manila envelope. "Are you doing an article or something?" he asked, and she looked up with a guilty grin.

"Actually, it's a letter for Hatori and the others," she confessed, sealing it up. "I was bored, and I just got to writing one."

"Okay…" He shrugged, tugging off his coat. "Feel any better?" he checked, noticing the dishes in the sink.

"Yeah, I had a sandwich, soup, and tea," she said, counting them off on her fingers and displaying them to Haru. "See?" she grinned, laying the folder on the table so she wouldn't forget to mail it.

"That's good." He nodded and she peered at him curiously, sensing something stiff about his tone.

"You're not coming down with something, are you?"

"No – just a long day with the kids." He shrugged again, the several chains on his neck jingling together.

"All right," she murmured, sensing the wall come back up, but not knowing what to do about it. The idea of seeing if he received mail at the center had crossed her mind, but she refused to stoop that low. The problem, in her mind, was that she still loved him, even though she thought he was no longer in love with her.

* * *

Jenna slept most of the next day, to her surprise, and only woke when the phone rang. Ironically, it was Hatsuharu to see if she was awake yet and she had mumbled a 'yes' before rushing to the bathroom again.

"Good things toilets don't have a flush charge," she muttered, staring at the porcelain apparatus in irritation. Rubbing her stomach awkwardly, she turned to brush her teeth to get rid of the taste, and unfortunately had to swing right back around again.

* * *

"Hey! Feeling any better, girl?" Tammy asked, greeting her friend the next morning with her usual enthusiasm. "Wow, you don't look so hot," she added quickly, peering at a rather-green Jenna. "If you're sick, go home before you infect the rest of us!"

"I'm not sick," the woman replied dully, lowering herself into her chair. "Mornings just don't hit well lately."

"Oh my _god_! You're not _pregnant_, are you?" the blond squealed, and Jenna's eyes shot wide open.

"_Pregnant_?" she repeated incredulously. "I don't think so!"

"Are you sure?" Tammy pressed, and squealed again when Jenna paused. "You're not! You are!"

"I – am – not!" Jenna retorted hotly, the mere thought of pregnancy sending waves of panic through her system. _"I can't be pregnant!"_ she moaned in her head, while trying to wear a calm face to present to her excitable coworker. _"No way – I can't be! I'm not my mother!"_

"Now you look worse," Tammy said, a bit nervously.

"I think I need some air," Jenna managed, getting to her feet. "I'll be back in a while."

* * *

Outside, she took several deep breaths in an effort to calm herself, which had absolutely no effect. The idea of creating a life and raising it as she was was a terrifying thought to the woman.

"I can't marry him just because I'm pregnant," she reasoned out-loud, quickly moving past denial and praying it was a worse-case scenario. "That didn't work for mom, it won't work for you. No abortion – what else can I do?" she demanded to the empty parking lot, stomping her foot angrily against the pavement.

"This isn't fair!"

* * *

"Wow, that's some mail," Momiji commented, having dropped by his cousin's office after work as usual, finding Hatori in the midst of the letter. "From Haru?"

"Jenna," the Dragon murmured, frowning a bit to himself as he scanned the pages.

"Can I read when you're done?" the Rabbit prodded. Knowing he could, having done it with Haru's letters, he plopped himself in a chair and grabbed a magazine, waiting for his cousin to finish. After a few minutes, he looked up surprise when Hatori suddenly grunted and let the paper drop to his desk. "Is something wrong?" he asked, getting up. "This is all of it, right?" he checked, sitting on the edge of the desk and shuffling the pages together again.

"She and Hatsuharu are having problems," Hatori told him curtly a few minutes later, scaring the Rabbit when he broke the silence.

"I gathered," the young man replied dryly, having skimmed the first few pages quickly. "Something else is bothering you," he realized, narrowing his eyes at his cousin. "What'm I missing?"

"It's nothing," Hatori said shortly, getting to his feet. "Leave it on the desk when you're done."

"Where're you going?" Momiji called, but the Dragon was already out the door. "Okay then," he shrugged, returning to the writing and reading it closer, hoping to find out what was bothering Hatori.

* * *

"Ahh…" Jenna sighed, her feet up on the couch as she lounged in the house a few days later. Haru was working late and the nausea hadn't been as bad that morning. She hadn't taken a test yet, fearing what it would say, and was still unsure what she was going to do if her friend had been right.

"Oh, now what," she grumbled, looking up as someone began to knock on the door. Hoping they would go away, seeing as the time was almost nine, she sighed loudly when they continued and pushed herself to her feet, mumbling to herself. Shuffling to the door in socks, jeans, and a fleece shirt, she opened the door impatiently, expecting to find a rude, persistent salesman in front of her.

"Long time no see," Hatori said calmly, looking down in slight amusement as Jenna's jaw dropped. She stammered for a moment before rushing forward and hugging him, his usual black trenchcoat swirling around them. He rested his hand on her back companionably, a little surprised – but grateful – he hadn't transformed, since it was so cold out.

"Hatori!" she laughed, her voice muffled through his coat. "What the hell are you doing here? Is something wrong?" she demanded, leaning back to stare at him in concern.

"No, nothing's wrong," he assured her, smiling a little. "Can we go inside before I explain?"

"Oh – oh, of course!" she exclaimed, stepping away and letting him in, noticing he had two average-sized suitcases with him. "Um…are you staying for something?" she asked hesitantly, shutting the door behind him.

"Yes," he nodded, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on the rack on the wall. "I received your letter – it was very interesting."

"Interesting? Interesting how?" she repeated suspiciously, following him to the couch. She noticed he seemed slightly older than when they had first met, but at the same time had hardly seemed to age, and she wondered whether it was a Sohma trait to look that young. Likewise, Hatori was inspecting her critically and noted that Jenna appeared to have matured a good deal since they left, a new look in her eyes and the way she moved around.

"Well, I was a little surprised to hear you and Hatsuharu have been having trouble," he began, having not been surprised in the least after reading Haru's last letter.

"You didn't come here to play therapist, Hatori," she said bluntly, peering at him.

"You look tired," he mentioned, and she frowned.

"I am."

"You mentioned you were ill."

"And I can't believe you'd come just to play nursemaid, either," she said skeptically. "Out with it."

"You're pregnant."

* * *

Ah-ha! I hope you all like this new installment. I'll be introducing more of Jenna's background to everyone, since I never have, and some new feelings (or old ones brought back to life) will start to develop. I'd thank all my reviewers for the last story by name, but there's too many! So, just a general "I love you all!" And I hope you like it. Please review.


	2. Planes

Summary; Warning; Disclaimer: See First Chapter.

Ah-ha! I have updated, something most unexpected to most of you, I'm sure. I really wanted to work on this, an urge you might say, so here is another brainstorm for this poor story. Enjoy!

* * *

"_What_?" she shrieked, breaking the tense silence that had followed his announcement had lasted several minutes. Hatori closed his eyes patiently, but didn't say a word. "How could you tell from just a letter?" she demanded. "How's it possible? _How_? For sure?"

"I didn't tell from your letter," he said calmly, interrupting her panicked shouts. "I guessed. And correctly, seeing your condition."

"I don't _have_ a damn condition!"

"Sit down and listen to me," Hatori ordered, raising his voice slightly. Out of surprise, she sat and clamped her jaw together, staring at him. "Now, you're pregnant – that's the fact of the matter. I've had plenty of experience to be sure. Does Haru know?"

"I wasn't even sure," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't want to know."

"All right," Hatori conceded, softening at seeing her miserable expression. "I know you don't have a doctor here, so don't try denying it. We'll go tomorrow and get you checked out."

"But…Hatori…why are you here?" she asked hesitantly, a little nervous at the mention of doctors.

"I'm the Sohma doctor," he told her briskly, "And you're Sohma."

"Akito…"

"Has no knowledge of this. He's not as strong as he once was," Hatori said, cutting her off. "He is still god, but the curse is all but void. He has no power anymore."

"Hatori…"

He clenched his jaw to keep something in, and quickly changed the words from what he wanted to say to what he knew he should say.

"I wanted to come and see if there are any competent doctors in this town," he informed her. "If there is not one that is to my satisfaction, you and Hatsuharu are coming back home with me, where I can keep an eye on you."

"Wh-what?" she managed, completely overwhelmed by the idea.

"If it wasn't safe, I wouldn't tell you to," he pointed out, and stood up as the door opened and shut, Haru now home.

"What the – Hatori?" the Ox demanded, at a loss for words.

"Nice to see you, Hatsuharu," Hatori nodded, a critical look in his eye as he watched his cousin. He turned back to Jenna after a moment, the doctor-face on once more. "You look tired, as we agreed upon before. Now, it's late and you have a lot to think about, so let me explain things to Haru. You need to get some sleep."

"Yeah…I probably do," she muttered, walking down the hall in a daze, going into emotional overload.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, showing up and ordering her around like that?" Haru hissed, and Hatori only looked at him coolly.

"Residual guilt certainly does make you protective, doesn't it?" the Dragon asked, his voice icy

"The hell're you –"

"I spoke to Rin," he said, and Haru froze. "I'm not sure whether to be surprised or no, considering your past with Rin, but I certainly am disgusted."

"You have no –"

"I am protecting the welfare of the Sohma," Hatori informed him, his voice suddenly dripping with irony. "Which you do not seem to be able to do. Jenna will be returning home with me, and you are free to come or go."

"Huh? Why the hell would she have to go with you?" Haru pressed, now more confused than angry.

"Hatsuharu, Jenna is pregnant. With _your_ child," the doctor told him pointedly, and Haru's jaw hit the floor.

"Wha…"

"And as the Sohma doctor, she is technically under my care," the Dragon continued, not giving Haru a chance to speak. Hatori was aware he felt a cold anger towards his cousin, and the words Momiji spoke to him as he prepared to leave flashed into his mind.

* * *

"_It's okay, Hari," the Rabbit said quietly, and Hatori looked up from his bag curiously._

"_What is?" he asked calmly, noticing the look on his cousin's face._

"_Kana's happy now," Momiji continued. "You can be too."_

"_I have no idea what you're talking about," the Dragon said stiffly, an odd feeling in his chest._

"_She's not married," he said firmly. "I'm beginning to think they never will be. Our curse is here, so is hers. And you know as well as I do about Rin."_

"_This conversation is pointless," the elder Sohma informed Momiji, and his tone made it clear that he wouldn't listen to anything else the Rabbit said. Momiji took the hint and fell silent, but his suggestions loomed over Hatori's head like a cloud._

* * *

"You're a real piece of work," Haru growled, and Hatori was abruptly brought back to reality by his angry cousin.

"I've been told that," the Dragon replied, his voice cold. "However, that does nothing to change facts. I suggest you decide – soon – whether you'll remain here or not, but it will not impact my decision in the least."

"I'll be you just love this, don't you," the Ox accused him, before stalking off and leaving Hatori alone. The Sohma remained standing for a long time, reflecting on the past and wishing things hadn't come to this between his cousin, before sitting down on the couch and closing his eyes.

"Hatori...Hatori?"

The Dragon stirred slightly as a voice called his name, and blearily opened his eyes to find a concerned-looking Jenna peering at him eye to eye.

"Hatori? Are you okay?" she asked, leaning back on her heels as he sat up. He realized he had fallen asleep on the couch sitting up, and turned his neck stiffly.

"What time is it?" he asked, and she glanced at the clock before answering.

"Almost ten. I didn't realize you were out here – I thought Haru had gotten you to the spare room," she fretted, but he smiled gently at her, assuming from her words that the Ox had left for work already.

"It's all right – Haru and I only talked for a moment. He was tired, so I'm sure he didn't think of it," Hatori assured her, a wry grin making its way to his face. Jenna watched him for another minutes before pushing herself to her feet and sighing.

"I slept late, and when I came out to make breakfast I saw you here," she told him, and he noticed her hair was still damp.

"I hope you don't plan on going out like that," he admonished her lightly. "You'll catch your death."

"Huh? Oh, I'm not," she grinned, realizing what he was talking about. "You're so funny, Hatori."

"Don't worry about breakfast. I'll take you out – _if_ you get your hair dry," he added sternly, and she smiled at him.

"I think it'll be the other way around, since I'm the one who lives here," she added teasingly, but obediently went down the hall to change. Hatori sat for a minute, gathering his senses, before picking up his bag and getting several articles out, glancing down at his current wrinkled state in amusement. Going down the hall, he quickly spotted the bathroom, and locked himself in before changing clothes.

* * *

"No nausea this morning?" he checked, glancing at the woman as she drove into town.

"Not really, now," she replied, shrugging a little. "I'm starving. What do you feel like?"

"It doesn't matter – I haven't eaten much American cuisine," he told her, and she nodded.

"All right then, we'll go out for pancakes. An interesting brunch," she added with a grin. Hatori found himself smiling as well, aware that her mere presence was able to put him back in a good mood.

* * *

"Hatori, there aren't any other doctors in town," she said in exasperation, sitting down in the car with a sigh. "They can't _all_ be so horrible."

"What would you do if your child is the Dog, and transforms in your arms before a roomful of strangers?" he demanded, and she looked bleakly at him in exhaustion.

"I don't kn-Hatori, I have a life here!" she protested. "I have friends here, and a house, for god's sake! I can't just pack up and leave everything!"

"You are not being taken away to prison for the rest of your life, Jenna," he informed her. "It will only be for approximately eight months, or until I'm satisfied you and the child are healthy."

"Hatori…I am really too tired to argue right now," she told him, sighing heavily. "I've never seen doctors argue, and I certainly didn't know it could get so ugly, either." She sighed again and rested her forehead on the steering wheel, looking defeated. Hatori felt a twinge of guilt for making her deal with the entire thing, but knew it was for the best.

"I am sorry, but you have to think of all the possibilities," he said. "There's a reason I'm the family doctor, you know."

"I know," she nodded, not lifting her head. "I'm just cranky. Are we done yet?"

"You certainly do sound like the petulant child," he agreed, trying to suppress the laugh he felt her tone. "All right, I see no further need to speak to any more doctors here."

"There _are_ no more doctors, Hatori," she pointed out.

"That's all the better. You can take a maternity leave from work – I will sign a note for you – and I will arrange for a flight back home," he said calmly. Realizing the Sohma would remain firm in his argument, and knowing he had a very good point to begin with, Jenna could only groan and nod in agreement.

"I guess I could use a break anyway," she said. "All right, Hatori. The office is still open, so we can go there now. You can talk to my boss there."

"I'll drive."

Jenna switched places with the doctor silently, honestly exhausted from the day and not even caring about the fact that they were going to get lost.

* * *

"Can I drive yet?" she asked wryly, almost thirty minutes later as Hatori frowned at the steering wheel in frustration. He glanced at her, and blinked.

"I suppose," he admitted, and they switched seats once again. Gripping the wheel firmly, Jenna managed to get them there shortly, and parked outside without a word.

"You can go in yourself," she told him. "I'm too tired to deal with much right now. I just want to go home."

Hatori nodded to her as he stepped from the car, and strode up the steps to the front doors. She watched as he disappeared into the building, and closed her eyes with a sigh as she waited. He was quicker than she expected, although she wondered why she thought he would be anything but efficient, and started the car again as he got in.

"All done?" she checked, and he nodded.

"Everything is settled now. We can head home now and begin packing. We're leaving in the morning on the next flight for Japan," he informed her, ignoring her gasp.

"That quick?" she demanded, gripping the steering wheel as she moved down the street. "I thought I'd have more time, Hatori. That's not fair."

"There's no point in delaying the inevitable," he reminded her, glancing over at her for a moment before returning to his view out the window. Jenna grumbled something under her breath before falling silent, effectively killing any further conversation as they headed toward the house.

* * *

"I'm going to bed now," she informed the two men primly, having stuffed several suitcases with her personal things for a few hours, ignoring both of them besides taking the food they gave her. She stared at them until Hatsuharu acknowledged her with a grunt.

"I'll wake you up in the morning," Hatori added as she stalked toward the bedroom, but her only response was a slammed door. He sighed patiently before eyeing his cousin sharply. "I know you felt it. I'm going to tell her on the plane tomorrow."

"I was wondering how long you were going to keep the crap up," Haru shot back, meeting his cousin's stare easily. Hatori shrugged and adjusted himself in the chair before replying.

"Akito's been dead and buried for over a year, yes," Hatori agreed with a slight nod. "But I find it prudent to allow some family members to believe that he still lives. Kazuma is proving to be quite an effective head of the family, after all. No need to stir things up further."

"So you're going to drag her back into there?" the Ox growled, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "Nice, Hatori."

"You can't deny the fact you're only going to see Rin," Hatori replied coolly, getting to his feet. Clearly reaching the limits of his patience for the night, he gathered his coat and nodded to his cousin again. "I'll see you in the morning, Haru, if you choose to join us. I booked a third seat just in case."

"Bastard," the young man muttered, glaring after his cousin as the man headed down the hallway and shut himself in the guest room. Stretching out on the couch, Haru frowned to himself and groaned, hands covering his eyes.

_"How long until he tells Jenna? If she doesn't guess at it first. What's that damn Dragon up to?" _he thought, ready for a rest before having to deal with another day full of his stifling cousin.

* * *

"I hate flying," Jenna whimpered, clutching Hatori's arm as they neared the ramp to board the plane. Haru was behind them, carrying the overnight bags and grumbling to himself as his glares frightened off anyone curious enough to stare at the two handsome men passing by.

"It's fine," Hatori assured her, patting her head lightly. "There's nothing to be frightened of, so calm down and just relax." He led her into the plane easily, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder the entire time.

"Easy for you to say," she muttered, forcing herself to keep her eyes open as they took their seats and leaning forward so Haru could stuff their bags into the overhead compartment. When he finally sat back down, she took a deep breath and leaned back, closing her eyes.

"Calm down, you're even making me jumpy," Haru said suddenly, resting a hand on her arm for a moment. She looked at him in surprise, not seeing Hatori's defensive stare that literally went right over her head to reach Haru.

"Sorry, I'll try," she replied after a minute, glad she was in-between the two men and didn't have to see the window nearby. Heights were never her favorite thing to begin with, so flying was not on the top of her 'fun things to do' list by any means.

Hatori shook his head and stared out the window impatiently, planning on waiting a few hours before telling Jenna the truth about the dreaded Akito, knowing how angry she would be at him for pretending the man was still alive all along.

"Something bothering you?" she asked, hearing him heave a sigh. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a small smile and shook his head, ever the liar.

"Of course not. We're getting ready to take off, so just remember to breath," he added suddenly, the doctor training taking over for the moment.

* * *

"You son of a bitch," she hissed, her eyes slits as she glared at the Dragon, who was actually leaning away from the woman at the moment. Haru was smirking over her shoulder at him, something that only made him rally his spirits.

"I said he had no power anymore. And that he had no knowledge - I thought it best not to surprise you with that news at the moment. You had enough to deal with," he added quickly, trying to appease her.

"Because of you!" she growled, her voice raising an octave and causing them both to wince. "Why couldn't you just tell me, Hatori?" she demanded angrily, folding her arms across her breasts angrily and staring at him.

"I thought if you could come with me to Japan thinking you might have to face Akito, you'd be ready for anything," he told her. "Kazuma is acting head of the family with our help. Some of the more-distant relatives still believe Akito is alive. It's easier that way for now, until everything settles."

"Settles?" she repeated in disbelief. Hatori started to speak, but Haru interrupted him with a well-placed clearing of his throat.

"Power doesn't pass through the family easily," he told her, forcing her to turn away from the Dragon momentarily. "The slower we can take it, the easier it's going to be to have people accept Kazuma as the head."

"Why Kazuma, anyway?" she asked with a frown.

"No one else was going to step up. He still wishes to atone for the crimes of the family and felt it was the best way to do it," Hatori said. "Besides, Kazuma has experience outside of the family. Call it the equivalent to bringing fresh blood into the complex."

"That is the most bizarre thing I've heard for a while," Jenna said after a moment, absorbing the news in a more-competent manner. Shaking her head, she surprised them by leaning back again and closing her eyes. "I'm going to get some more rest, so don't pull any more stunts like that before we land, all right? Thank you in advance for heeding my warning." And with that, they were promptly dismissed.

The two men exchanged incredulous glances over her head before shrugging in defeat and returning to their respective activities - Hatori was occupying himself with a book while Haru was busy with a music player.

* * *

Jenna woke up when she felt someone patting her shoulder and she turned her head to see Haru's gray eyes staring at her. "Hmm?" she asked, yawning before she could stop herself.

"We're getting ready to land," he told her, leaning further away from her as she straightened with a groan, back stiff from the awkward position she had slept in. Hatori was shutting his book with a reluctant air and looking out the window.

"I didn't expect there to be early snow," he mused, shrugging back into his coat before they had to buckle once more for the landing.

"I like snow," Jenna remarked, following his example absently and grinning sheepishly at Hatori when her grumbling stomach caught his disapproving attention.

"I suppose we'll get something to eat before returning to the compound," he remarked dryly, shaking his head. "You're not supposed to let yourself get so hungry, Jenna."

"It can't exactly be helped on the plane," she retorted, feeling the hunger pains all-too sharply now that she was awake. Haru sighed over her shoulder and she realized that while his attitude towards her had been concerned and close to friendly, it was distant at the same time.

_"So much for kidding myself,"_ she thought wryly, knowing the reason for his temperament. There was nothing to do about it at the moment, however, as the plane began its descent. She closed her eyes and refused to open them until Hatori was forced to unbuckle her himself, muttering in aggravation.

"There, you're alive. Come on, Haru already got off to get our bags,:" he informed her, rolling his eyes slightly as she got to her feet, wobbling a bit from sitting so long. Taking her elbow firmly, he guided her out of the plane and onto solid ground, where they found Haru already waiting, bags in hand.

"What took so long?" he asked, obviously not intending to carry everything himself. Hatori obligingly lifted some of the weight as well, but a glare prevented Jenna from taking anything. She followed the two men outside and breathed deeply, the cold air making her nerves tingle.

"It feels good to be back," she admitted, spreading her arms for a moment as if trying to embrace all of Japan. Hatori allowed himself an amused smile before nudging her forward.

"Come on, I have a car waiting," he hinted, Kazuma having provided a rental to meet them at the airport to prevent any mishaps concerning the Sohma cousins.


	3. Temp Author's Note

I've never done an Author's Note chapter in a story, but since it's been so long since I've updated this story I figured it deserved one. I want to thank my latest reviewer, Temari, to whose review I can't reply since she wasn't signed in. It was one of the most encouraging and enthusiastic reviews I've received. I'm renewing my effort to continue and finish this story thanks to her. So please, anyone who has been waiting on an update, I know it's been quite some time. But I will finish this, so hang in there with me and we'll see it through!


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